We are pleased to present Stagecoach in an original 35mm print. This is not to say that the print is pristine; it does show some wear. However, it will allow viewers to see the original quality of the cinematography so often lost in prints that are generations away from the original.
“By the late '30s the Western was considered a genre in decline; then Stagecoach appeared. Favoring archetypes and action (e.g., the requisite cavalry rescue) over psychological profiling, the story is simple yet elegantly rendered. Stagecoach recounts the adventures of a disparate group crossing the frontier. And what a bunch--a pregnant gentlewoman, a prostitute, a gambler, a whisky vendor, a shady banker, a doctor-turned-drunk, a marshall, his criminal charge, and the driver. When thrown together for 48 hours... well, just imagine the possibilities for this group's dynamic, a theme dear to Ford. Pivotal in resuscitating interest in the genre, Stagecoach is noteworthy for its number of ‘firsts.' In addition to being Ford's first sound Western, the film establishes John Wayne as the epitomy of ‘things Western.' Featured as the vengeful outlaw, the Ringo Kid, Wayne immediately established himself as ‘star', not ‘B', material. The film also introduced that most iconographic of landscapes: Monument Valley. Lastly, Stagecoach is one of the first films to make extensive use of deep focus/deep space photography; Welles is said to have watched it countless times as preparation for Citizen Kane.” Laura Thielen